Automatic lock slider for slide fasteners

ABSTRACT

An automatic lock slider for a slide fastener including a slider body slidably mounted upon the fastener, a pull tab on the slider, and a wire spring locking member held in a pair of grooves upon the slider body and biased to an operative position whereby the slider is automatically locked against movement along the fastener and is easily released by the application of a pulling force to the pull tab.

Unite States Patent (72] lnventor Stanley G. Kedzierski [56] References Cited [2!] A l N zgg gg UNITED STATES PATENTS Pp o v [22] Filed g 18,1969 2.373523 4/1945 Wrnterhalter... 24/205.l4 [45] Patented July 13, I971 I FOREIGN PATENTS [73] Assignee Texu-on Inc, 979,306 4/1951 France 24/205. 14

' Primary Examiner-Bernard A. Gelak Attorney-Meech and Field [54] AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR SLIDE r I I QZE E F ABSTRACT: An automatic lock slider fora slide fastener inv eluding a slider body slidably mounted upon the fastener, a [52] US. Cl 24/205.l4, pull tab on the slider, and a wire spring looking member held 24/205.l in a pair of grooves upon the slider body and biased to an [51 1 lint. Cl A44!) 19/30 operative position whereby the slider is automatically locked [50] Field of Search 24/205. 1, aga nst ent ongthe fastener and is easily released by the application of a pulling force to the pull tab.

PATENTED JUN 3197! INVENTOR, Stanley 6. Kedzierski ATTORNEYS faaaa AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to slide fasteners and, more particularly, to an improved automatic lock slider for a slide fastener.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art, as exemplified by US. Pat. No. 3,320,645 and British Pat. No. 569,721 is representative of automatic lock sliders for slide fasteners wherein such a slider is precluded from displacement along the fastener until a release of the lock member is effectuated. However, the known prior art automatic lock sliders are expensive, due to the number and extent of manufacturing processes involved, and often cause fraying of the material adjacent the fastener because of the movement of the locking mechanism. Furthermore, conventional automatic lock sliders contain a number of elements having complicated shapes, the manufacture of which is both complex and costly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a slider employs a simplified wire spring lock member which permits a reduction of manufacturing time and cost. In addition, a lock member is maintained in a central position within a slider to provide positive locking of a slide fastener.

In practicing the present invention, an automatic lock slider for a fastener is embodied in a slider element mounted upon the fastener and having first and second support shoulders, a pull tab mounted between the shoulders, and a lock means on the slider movable between operative and inoperative positions; the lock means includes a wire spring locking member having a single inclined portion adapted to be moved by the pull tab and disposed between first and second L-shaped end portions mounted on the first and second support shoulders, respectively, the first L-shaped end portion being adapted to lock the slider when the lock means is in its operative position.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a fastener with a simple automatic lock slider which is easily and economically manufactured.

The present invention has an additional object in that an automatic lock slider reduces fabric fraying as well as manufacturing rejections.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a partial elevation of a slide fastener device employing an automatic lock slider constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the slider element of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross section of the slider element of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention is embodied in a slide fastener indicated generally at in FIG. 1, including a pair of interengageable devices mounted on carrier tapes I2 and I4. A pull tab I6 with an interconnecting link 18 having an operating member or trunnion 19 is connected to a slider, indicated generally at 20, for manually opening and closing the slide fastener 10.

As is shown in FIG. 2, the slider 20 includes a base plate 22 having a pair of upwardly protruding flanges 24 and 26 formed on opposing sides thereof; flanges 24 and 26 contain inwardly directed upper lips 28 and 30, respectively, which cooperate with the flanges and base plate 22 to define a longitudinally oriented Y-shaped channel 32. An upwardly protruding neck member 34 is centrally formed upon the base plate 22 between leftand right-wings of Y-shaped channel 32 with the sidewalls of the neck converging along the lower portion of its front end to form an apex 36 at the throat of the Y-shaped channel and a horizontally extended ridge 38 extending over the apex. Neck member 34 has a flat upper surface 40 located outside the channel containing a longitudinal groove 42 running from the rear end of the neck to a generally rectangular upright shoulder 44; a contiguous groove 46 extends from groove 42 upwardly along rear surface 48 of the shoulder and continues longitudinally along the entire length of the top surface thereof. Shoulder 44 includes an inclined front surface 50 and a hole 52 passing centrally through the sides of the shoulder.

A second generally rectangular upright shoulder 54 is longitudinally aligned on the front of the upper surface 40 of neck member 34 and has an inclined rear surface 56 directly facing the front inclined surface 50 of shoulder 44. Shoulder 54 has a groove 58, similar to groove 46 in shoulder 44, running longitudinally along its top surface and continuing down along a front surface 60 into the throat area of channel 32. As seen in FIG. 3, the height of shoulder 54 is less than that of shoulder 44 for operatively supporting a simplified locking member, to be more fully described below.

A planar wire spring locking member 62 is disposed within grooves 42, 46 and 58 and includes an L-shaped rear portion 64 cooperatively shaped to fit within groove 46 of shoulder 44 and an inclined central portion 66 extending from L-shaped rear portion 64 to an L-shaped front portion 68; front portion 68 is mounted within groove 58 so that an extremity 70 thereof is normally disposed in a central position within the throat of Y-shaped channel 32 to lock the slider. Grooves 46 and 58 center the locking member 62, preclude horizontal movement thereof and permit vertical movement of extremity 70 to provide both effective locking and an easy release thereof.

A generally rectangular, hollow cover member 72 open at its lower edge is mounted upon the upper surface 40 of neck member 34 and completely encloses shoulders 44 and 54 to maintain wire spring locking member 62 in proper alignment within grooves 46 and 58. In addition, the cover serves to hold firmly the L-shaped rear portion 64 of wire spring locking member 62 in its groove 46 against shoulder 44 whereby the spring self-biases the extremity 70 into the throat of the channel 32 to lock automatically the slider. Furthermore, by only holding L-shaped end portion 64, a long moment arm is provided for operation of the locking member. Cover 72 is held in place by staking the sides thereof into shoulder 44 at points 74, the resulting depressions produced at points 74 cooperating with hole 52 to provide a secure attachment; it is noted that while staking has been illustrated, any desired manner of attaching cover 72 to the slider may be employed. The sidewalls of cover member 72 each include a slot 76 aligned to permit the trunnion or operating member 19 of the connecting link 18 of pull tab 16 to pass there through in an operative position across the upper surface 40 of neck 34 between inclined surfaces 50 and 56 of shoulders 44 and 54, respectively, and redner the central inclined portion 66 of locking member 62.

Locking member 62 has a locked position (FIG. 3) and a released position. In such locked position, the extremity 70 of the wire spring locking member 62 is biased into the throat of channel 32 where it tends to lodge itself against one of the interengaging elements thereby preventing forces produced by the movement of the fabric upon which the fastener is mounted from opening the slider.

When opening of the fastener is desired, a pulling force is exerted on the pull tab 16 in a generally downward direction; this force is transmitted by operating member 19 to the slider 20 and causes movement of the operating member toward the right as viewed in FIG. 3. As the operating member I8 moves to the right it contacts the inclined central portion 66 of wire spring locking member 62 and the inclined rear surface 56 of shoulder 54 whereupon continued movement of the operating member 19 against inclined portion 66 and inclined surface 56 causes the extremity 70 of locking member 62 to be moved out of the channel 32 permitting the slider to move freely along the fastener. Operating member 19 will continue to move to the right relative to the slider body until it engages the edge of slots 76 in the cover member 72 to transmit the pulling force to the slider, moving it down and opening the fastener.

The above mentioned release of locking member 62 is easily accomplished due to the cooperative action of the trunnion l9 and the inclined central portion 66 of the locking member which provides effective leverage through a long moment arm. In addition, the inclined surface 56 of shoulder 54 acts as a camming surface displacing operating member 119 against the wire spring locking member 62 to increase the leverage and assure effective release of the locking action of the slider even when the pull tab 16 is pulled directly down.

if it is desired to reclose the fastener, a force is applied to the pull tab 16 in an upward direction which causes operator member 19 to move to the left as viewed in FIG. 3. As the operator moves, the camming action of the front surface 50 of shoulder 44 produces a displacement of the operator member 19 resulting in the displacement of the wire spring locking member 62 from its normally biased locking position. The slider is then free to move up the fastener producing closure thereof. When the fastener is fully closed and the pull tab 16 released, the extremity 70 of spring locking member 62 will return to its normal self-biased position in the throat of Y- shaped channel 32 to lock the slider and prevent undesired opening of the fastener. It is noted that inclined surface 50 of shoulder 44 is not essential if the particular configuration of the interengageable devices of the fastener is shaped to directly cam the extremity 70 of the spring 62 out ofa locking position within the channel 32 when the slider is moved in an upward direction, thus permitting closure of the fastener at any time without necessitating a release of the lock mechanism.

The automatic lock slider of the present invention has the particular advantage of a simplified construction resulting in an ease of operation heretofore unattainable in slide fasteners using filamentary stringers. Such construction assures effective locking while employing a relatively light iocking member which requires a minimal force to accomplish its release. Furthermore, the inclined central portion of the wire spring, in conjunction with the inclined surface 56 of shoulder 541-, provides increased leverage by the camming action produced upon movement of operating member 19 thereby increasing the ease in which release of the lock is attained. An additional advantage of the present invention is the reduction in manufacturing costs provided by the use of wire spring material in constructing the locking member 62 and the simplified shape of the completed locking member permitted by the design of the slider neck portion.

In as much as the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and changes in detail, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic lock slider for a slide fastener comprising a slider body adapted to be slidably mounted upon the fastener and having first and second support shoulders,

a pull tab mounted between said support shoulders,

lock means on said slider body movable between operative and inoperative positions and including a wire spring locking member having a single inclined portion adapted to be moved by said pull tab and centrally disposed between first and second L-shaped end portions mounted upon said first and second support shoulders, respectively, and

said first L-shaped end portion adapted to lock said slider body when said lock means is in its operative position.

2. The invention as recited in claim H wherein said wire spring locking member is planar.

3. The invention as recited in claim 2 wherein said first and second support shoulders comprise a pair of upwardly protruding shoulders each having a longitudinally aligned groove therein adapted to support said first and second L- shaped end portions, respectively, of said wire spring locking member in longitudinal alignment upon said slider body and to hold said wire spring locking member in a fixed horizontal position.

4%. The invention as recited in claim 3 further including means maintaining said second L-shaped end portion of said wire spring in a fixed position within one of said grooves, whereby said lock means is normally biased to its operative position.

5. The invention as recited in claim 4 wherein said first support shoulder has an inclined side surface adapted to cooperate with said pull tab upon the application of a pulling force thereto to displace said pull tab against said inclined por tion of said wire spring thereby causing movement of said lock means from its operative position to its inoperative position.

6. An automatic lock slider for a slide fastener comprising a flanged base plate defining a Y-shaped channel having a throat portion,

a neck member partially disposed within the throat portion of said channel,

a pair of generally rectangular shoulders formed upon said neck member ouwide said channel with one of said shoulders having an upper surface extending above an upper surface of the other of said shoulders,

means defining a longitudinally oriented groove in each upper surface with one groove being in longitudinal alignment with the other groove,

a wire spring locking member movable between a locking position and a released position and having one end disposed in the groove of said one shoulder and another end disposed in the groove of said other shoulder, and

an extremity of said another end extending into a central portion of said channel adjacent said neck member when said wire spring locking member is in a locking position.

7. The invention as recited in claim 6 wherein said wire spring locking member comprises an intermediate portion partially disposed within the grooves of said pair of shoulders and two transverse end portions vertically and horizontally displaced from each other.

if. The invention as recited in claim 7 wherein a pull tab having an operating member is disposed upon said neck member between said shoulders, and wherein said intermediate portion of said wire spring locking member includes an inclined segment extending between said pair of shoulders and adapted to be displaced by said pull tab upon the application of a pulling force thereto whereby said wire spring locking member is moved from its locking position to a released position.

9. The invention as recited in claim wherein the other of said shoulders includes an inclined rear surface adapted to displace the operating member of said pull tab against said inclined segment of said wire spring upon application of a pulling force to said pull tab whereby said wire spring locking member is moved to its released position.

10. The invention as recited in claim 9 wherein said other of said shoulders includes a groove on a front surface thereof to cooperate with said other end of said wire spring locking member whereby said extremity of said wire spring locking member is held in a centrally disposed position on said neck member.

ill. The invention as recited in claim wherein said one of said shoulders includes a groove on a rear surface thereof adapted to hold one of the transverse end portions of said wire spring locking member in horizontal and rotational alignment upon said neck member whereby said wire spring locking member is maintained in an operative position on said neck member.

112. The invention as recited in claim llll wherein means mounted on said neck member maintains said one end of said maintaining said one end of said wire spring locking member in a fixed position comprises a on said neck member and corn shoulders.

cover member fixedly mounted pletely surrounding said pair of 

1. An automatic lock slider for a slide fastener comprising a slider body adapted to be slidably mounted upon the fastener and having first and second support shoulders, a pull tab mounted between said support shoulders, lock means on said slider body movable between operative and inoperative positions and including a wire spring locking member having a single inclined portion adapted to be moved by said pull tab and centrally disposed between first and second L-shaped end portions mounted upon said first and second support shoulders, respectively, and said first L-shaped end portion adapted to lock said slider body when said lock means is in its operative position.
 2. The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said wire spring locking member is planar.
 3. The invention as recited in claim 2 wherein said first and second support shoulders comprise a pair of upwardly protruding shoulders each having a longitudinally aligned groove therein adapted to support said first and second L-shaped end portions, respectively, of said wire spring locking member in longitudinal alignment upon said slider body and to hold said wire spring locking member in a fixed horizontal position.
 4. The invention as recited in claim 3 further including means maintaining said second L-shaped end portion of said wire spring in a fixed position within one of said grooves, whereby said lock means is normally biased to its operative position.
 5. The invention as recited in claim 4 wherein said first support shoulder has an inclined side surface adapted to cooperate with said pull tab upon the application of a pulling force thereto to displace said pull tab against said inclined portion of said wire spring thereby causing movement of said lock means from its operative position to its inoperative position.
 6. An automatic lock slider for a slide fastener comprising a flanged base plate defining a Y-shaped channel having a throat portion, a neck member partially disposed within the throat portion of said channel, a pair of generally rectangular shoulders formed upon said neck member outside said channel with one of said shoulders having an upper surface extending above an upper surface of the other of said shoulders, means defining a longitudinally oriented groove in each upper surface with one groove being in longitudinal alignment with the other groove, a wire spring locking member movable between a locking position and a released position and having one end disposed in the groove of said one shoulder and another end disposed in the groove of said other shoulder, and an extremity of said another end extending into a central portion of said channel adjacent said neck member when said wire spring locking member is in a locking position.
 7. The invention as recited in claim 6 wherein said wire spring locking member comprises an intermediate portion partially disposed within the grooves of said pair of shoulders and two transverse end portions vertically and horizontally displaced from each other.
 8. The invention as recited in claim 7 wherein a pull tab having an operating member is disposed upon said neck member between said shoulders, and wherein said intermediate portion of said wire spring locking member includes an inclined segment extending between said pair of shoulders and adapted to be displaced by said pull tab upon the application of a pulling force thereto whereby said wire spring locking member is moved from its locking position to a released position.
 9. The invention as recited in claim 8 wherein the other of said shoulders includes an inclined rear surface adapted to displace the operating member of said pull tab against said inclined segment of said wire spring upon application of a pulling force to said pull tab whereby said wire spring locking member is moved to its released position.
 10. The invention as recited in claim 9 whErein said other of said shoulders includes a groove on a front surface thereof to cooperate with said other end of said wire spring locking member whereby said extremity of said wire spring locking member is held in a centrally disposed position on said neck member.
 11. The invention as recited in claim 10 wherein said one of said shoulders includes a groove on a rear surface thereof adapted to hold one of the transverse end portions of said wire spring locking member in horizontal and rotational alignment upon said neck member whereby said wire spring locking member is maintained in an operative position on said neck member.
 12. The invention as recited in claim 11 wherein means mounted on said neck member maintains said one end of said wire spring locking member in a fixed position relative to said neck member whereby said wire spring locking member is self-biased to its locking position.
 13. The invention as recited in claim 12 wherein said means maintaining said one end of said wire spring locking member in a fixed position comprises a cover member fixedly mounted on said neck member and completely surrounding said pair of shoulders. 